


Work and Pleasure

by coffeexwhiskey



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, AryaxGendry - Freeform, Davos is mentioned as well, F/M, Fluff, I'm bad at tagging so i'll leave it here, Lots of kissing, Mentions of the Baratheon Clan, Mentions of the Stark Family - Freeform, Naath, Podrick is the sweetest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 10:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20795438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeexwhiskey/pseuds/coffeexwhiskey
Summary: “So what brings you here to Naath?”Gendry’s lips twitched upwards before he answered, “Work.”“Ah… So you’re one of those noisy fellas that arrived earlier today, huh?” she sneered.“Noisy fellas?”Arya raised a brow with a bold grin on her face as she watched him gawk at her.“Well yes. I’m one of those fellas.”“What about you? What brings you here?” Gendry asked.“Pleasure.”





	Work and Pleasure

** **

** _Day 1_ **

The travel guide did mention that the weather there would be very warm and humid, but she didn’t expect it to be _this_ warm and humid.

But this was better than the cold, freezing state that she grew up in.

Growing up in a cold place makes you crave for hot and sunny cities and countries and that’s why she was there in that tropical island for three days and two nights; to get away from sub-zero Winterfell.

She wouldn’t be staying long on the island so it was reasonable that she only had a hand carry luggage with her.

She dragged her bag behind her and walked over to the front desk only to be greeted by an overly-exaggerated smiling staff.

“Welcome to Palm City. How may I help you?” the woman, Jayne as written on her nameplate, sounded like she just inhaled five helium balloons. She had to bite her lip from laughing out loud.

She cleared her throat to compose herself before giving the woman her name, “Hello. Arya Stark, I have reservations.”

“For a moment,” Jayne lifted a pointing finger as she bent over to the screen behind the desk. “Well, Arya Stark, Coco Hut for two nights, is that right?”

“Right,” Arya returned her bright smile with a much-controlled grin.

While Jayne pulled out a tablet from the counter, busy typing and poking away on the screen, a group of new hotel guests arrived making Arya peek over to the noisy bunch.

Dresses, collared shirts, fancy luggage for the ladies and travel backpacks or duffle bags for the men, Arya guessed they’re there for work.

Ignoring the new arrivals, she returned her attention to Jeyne who asked her to fill in the information required. As soon as she was done, she was ushered by a staff to her bungalow.

Passing through the huge garden, the bamboo restaurant, and gift shop, Arya couldn’t help but let her eyes linger on the mesmerizing ocean before her. Coconut trees spread all over the resort, providing shade for the guests. She noticed families and friends walking around in clusters as they head to different facilitates offered by the resort.

The staff guided her to the furthest cottage, as she requested. Two steps in the entrance, a dipping pool right in front of the main door and a terrace facing the ocean right behind it. On her right was a glass sliding door that would lead her to her room.

Once the staff left her, giving last-minute reminders, Arya rushed inside the bedroom. It was just the way she saw it from the website. A king-sized bed in the middle, a living room set down by two steps, a refrigerator and a breakfast table near it. She walked behind the large bed, where she found a big wall built as a divider from the bedroom to the bathroom. Behind the wall was a massive mirror almost reaching the four corners of the divider. She slid the wooden sliding doors revealing an elegant bathtub, his and hers sink, and shower and a walk-in closet to the side. The brightness in the room made her blink harshly. Realizing she hadn’t even turned the lights on, she lifted her head up only to find the roof to be glass. The sun beamed down at her, the white clouds passed through the light blue skies.

She laughed to herself, feeling very proud for choosing Palm City for her much needed _me time_.

Not wanting to waste time, she hauled her bag in the walk-in closet and changed from her ripped jeans and t-shirt to a one-piece swimsuit. She wore a see-through t-shirt dress over and pulled out her flipflops.

She took out her small beach bag, shoving all her necessities inside and quickly left the cottage.

Arya grabbed for her sunglasses as she walked around the area, taking note of the things she wanted to see and try. As she tied her cotton candy hair in a bun, she mentally listed down the gym, the pool, the bar_ by_ the pool, the restaurant, and the spa.

When she approached the beach, she was grateful to see it wasn’t that crowded. There were outdoor lounge chairs and giant umbrellas that Arya decided she didn’t need.

She thought of Sansa’s reaction once she’s back in Winterfell. Her sister would be dead jealous to see her sun-kissed skin.

Arya took out her beach blanket from her bag, laid it over the sand and hastily took off her cover-up. After putting on enough layer of sunscreen, she laid on her belly, basking in the touch of the sun on her skin.

The waves from the water lulled her in peace, the inaudible chatter from fellow travelers well ignored and Arya couldn’t be happier.

It had probably been an hour since she landed giving her an hour before noon. Arya decided she should try a local spot for lunch before taking a swim.

After baking herself under the sun for an hour, Arya collected her things and headed to the lounge to check out the list of places her travel guide had suggested.

It was an easy decision to make for Arya who’s always up to new adventures. A small restaurant called _Mango Savour_ serves all their food with mango, a fruit that never grows in her hometown.

Walking out of the hotel, she checked her phone map and found out that the place was at least a mile away.

She smacked her forehead for her idiocy.

Looking around, she noticed there weren’t many cars. Of course, there would be no trains or cabs on an island like Naath. She drew in a long breath, thinking for ways she could reach her destination without having to walk for maybe an hour.

“Need a ride?” she whirled around to the voice behind her. Surveying her surroundings, she only found herself and the two guys with a motorcycle each.

“Y-Yeah,” she scratched the back of her head embarrassingly.

“Where are you heading?” the friendly-looking one asked. Arya side-eyed the other man with a stoic face. He narrowed his eyes on her, giving her the once-over which annoyed Arya.

“Mango Savour,” she replied.

“Where is that?” it was the blue-eyed man who asked, his expression still passive.

His brows furrowed and his stare was unwavering as if he’s judging her silently. Arya wanted to punch him in the face just so he’d stop gazing over her with eagle eyes.

Arya showed her phone to the rude man and pointed to the screen, “It says Tourism Road.”

She heard the friendlier one snap his fingers, “Good. We’re heading to Shark Shack; it’s also in Tourism Road. We can give you a ride,” he exclaimed. “Or more like Gendry can give you a ride. I’m not good with motorcycles, prefer four wheels,” he chuckled to himself.

Arya contemplated hard. These guys could be kidnapers or rapers or even killers, but it’s twelve fucking noon. Who’d try to commit such crimes in broad daylight? And the kind guy looks sincere. Though the smug-looking one still annoyed her to death and she’ll have to ride with him.

But then the silence around them reminded her that she has no other options and the grumbling of her stomach’s making her start to feel light-headed, missing her breakfast because she had to drive Bran and Rickon to school because her parents left quite early that day and her other siblings also had to go to work.

Given no choice, she forced a smile on her face and nodded. “Thanks. I just really want to have lunch and I didn’t think about transportation before deciding to eat at a restaurant a mile away.”

“No problem, we’re glad to help,” she was surprised at the words that came out of the rude guy’s mouth.

She ducked her head low as she walked closer to him. When she placed a foot on the step knot, she heard him speak again.

“I’m Gendry by the way and that’s Podrick,” he jerked his head in the direction of the other man who’s already starting his motorcycle.

“Arya,” she mumbled, trying her best not to grab his shoulders as she lifted one leg over the other side of the motorcycle.

“Nice to meet you, Arya. Now hold tight,” he peered over her. “I’m hungry and so is Podrick and I’m sure you are too cause I can hear your stomach growling from here,” he laughed, giving their ride a kick start.

When Gendy unexpectedly revved up, Arya let out a squeal in surprise. Not wanting to awkwardly hold on to him, she reached behind her to find the rear. But when Gendry had to make a sharp turn, her grip on the seat had failed her, losing her balance.

“Can you please slow down?” she screamed in his ear.

“Sorry, princess,” she can see the smirk forming on the side of his face.

Not holding back, she whacked his back with a hand only earning her a laugh from Gendry.

“I don’t have any plans of dying soon,” she grumbled.

“So do I, that’s why I’m trying my best to get some food inside of me.”

Gendry sped up the highway, overtaking Podrick.

In less than fifteen minutes, Arya finally caught sight of the restaurant’s signage.

Gendry cautiously drove to the sidewalk, turning his head from side to side, “We’re here, princess.”

“Stop calling me that,” Arya complained as she stepped down.

Gendry had that smug look on his face again; at least there was a smile somehow.

Arya swallowed heavily.

Then Podrick parked behind Gendry, his sweet smile never faltered.

“You good?” Podrick queried.

“Yeah, though your friend here tried to kill me for a moment,” she pointed a thumb to Gendry who only chortled.

“Thanks for the ride. Thanks, Podrick,” she smiled to them one at a time.

“You know my name?”

“Gendry told me. Arya by the way,” she walked closer to the guy and shook his hand.

“How come I didn’t get a handshake?” Gendry complained, obviously overreacting.

“That’s because you tried to kill her,” Podrick answered for Arya and sniggered along with her.

“Well, thank you, guys. Go get your lunch. I’m gonna get mine.” She waved a hand to them as they drove away from her.

Arya never thought she could love fruit as much as she loved mangoes, from the mango salsa to the stir-fried chicken with mango to the mango sago she had for dessert.

It’s not that she was very famished, the food was just delicious and she couldn’t get enough of them.

So she asked the lady who served her if they had any mangoes for sale but was disappointed to hear that she can only get some from the market.

When she stepped out of the restaurant, she noticed the array of shops on the side of the road and decided to spend some of her afternoon, picking souvenirs for her friends and family.

She bought bamboo tumblers for her working parents, customized couple shirts for herself and her bestfriend with Naath printed on the front and Stark and Reed on the back. She got herself matching anklets with the rest of her siblings, and weaved bracelets for her other friends. I there’s one travel tip she learned from her bestfriend Meera, it’s to buy lightweight gifts to avoid trouble with excess luggage at the airport.

It was already passed three in the afternoon and Arya felt sticky from all the walking she did. She asked a local if she could get a ride back to the resort. Motorcycles, that’s the most common way of transportation in the island. So she hired one with a driver.

When she got back in the hotel, the dropped the items she bought in her room so she could enjoy the rest of the afternoon on the beach.

The sun was still out so most of the vacationers enjoyed the way the rays of the sunshine prickled on their flesh, and Arya was one of them.

After being in the water for quite some time, she let herself roll on the shore as she watched the sunset descend. The blend of red, orange, purple and blues painted the skies as the sun touched the base of the water.

Arya had never seen such beauty. She embraced the scenic view before her with a content smile on her face.

The glorious moment was ruined by the babbling of mouths, other guests had ran-up to the beach to take photos of the sky and witness the transition from lightness to darkness.

Arya rolled her eyes in vexation and rose up from her place. Picking her bag from the sand, she marched back to her bungalow to freshen up.

She already had plans that night; she’d order room service, eat at the terrace, watch some tv and visit the bar when the time’s right.

She dipped one foot after the other and slowly sunk herself in the warm, bubbly water. The tub was big, and with her petite height, she could even submerge herself from head to toe.

She turned on the television just to provide some white noise while she scrolled through her phone.

Texts from her parents and siblings flooded her messaging app. Meera left a voice message telling her not to forget to swim with the dolphins. Arya laughed at her friend’s reminder, Naath doesn’t have dolphins and she’s sure she had discussed it with her before she left Winterfell. Her boss, Miss Crane as they liked to call her, informed her that she has a new client waiting for her.

Arya huffed heavily as she typed in a reply and dropped her phone on the floor.

Wrapping herself with a robe, she called for room service and pulled out some clothes to wear while she waited for her food.

The string lights hanging from one tree to another reflected on the water. The wind making them dance along with the rolling of the waves that were louder now that night had come. Arya had never felt calmer.

She lounged on her bed as she waited for the clock to strike nine and got herself dressed in a plain white flowy summer dress. The deep V gave emphasis to the daisy necklace Sansa had gifted her for her birthday. The length of the dress was short enough to expose her now sun-kissed legs. She put on a pair of white strappy sandals to match her dress and strutted out to the bar with her hair naturally waving down her shoulders.

“What can give you tonight, miss?” the bartender asked as soon as she got on a stool.

“Your specialty?

“A Mary Berry, then,” the man quickly worked on her drink.

Arya raised a brow at the familiar name of a famous food writer and cooking host.

“What’s in it?” Arya asked in pure interest.

“Gin.”

“Good,” she turned on her seat with a satisfied grin on her face.

There were cocktail tables, beach chairs, and mats with fluffy cushions scattered around the pool. Patrons chatted away with peers, drinks in their hands. There were native Naath performers in one end of the pool and a crowd formed around them. Arya can see movements, some were dancing along to the beat of the drums.

“There you go. One Mary Berry,” the bartender placed a red drink on the counter.

“Thank you,” she beamed and took a sip of the drink and her eyes immediately went round. It was strong! The taste of the berries was still evident, but the gin. Oh God, but the gin. It’s really there.

Arya giggled to herself at the thought of her drink. Why was she even worried? It tasted bombastic despite the strong poison of the alcohol and she’s sure she’ll get another one once she had drowned out her first glass.

A knock on the counter made her lift her head up from her drink. Gendry hopped on the seat beside her.

“Anything as long as it’s beer,” he told the bartender, the smugness from earlier that day, gone.

The Gendry in front of her now looked more jaunty and dreamy and most importantly, less annoying.

Arya’s eyes widened.

_Did I just think of him as dreamy?_

“Nice to see you here, Arya,” he said casually, taking the beer bottle from the bartender.

Arya tensed as she cleared her throat, trying her best to look up to him.

“Yeah, you too,” she managed to answer. “Where’s Podrick?” she leaned back to find no signs of him.

Gendry took a swig of his beer before answering. “Probably with a woman by now,” he snorted.

“Why aren’t you with a woman?”

“So what are you? A troll?”

“Hey! My hair’s-“ Arya stopped herself from trying to defend her pink hair. “We… We’re… You are not with me,” she said sternly, taking a sip of her drink and swiveled away from him.

She heard Gendry give out his gravel laugh.

“Shut up,” she warned.

“Or what?” Gendry challenged from behind her. “Wait. Why am I talking to your back? I want to talk to your front,” he had a hand on her shoulder when Arya whipped around.

“MY WHAT?!”

Gendry’s eyes were round as saucers. He threw his hand up in the air in excuse, “No. I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

“You fucking-“

“You have a very dirty mind,” Gendry defended, pointing a finger at her.

“I do not!” Arya argued, slamming a palm on the counter.

“Is there a problem here?” the bartender waltzed in.

“NO!” Arya and Gendry both roared at the same time.

The guy eyed them suspiciously before turning away from them to tend to other customers.

Gendry took in a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair.

“Look. I didn’t mean to sound rude. You were just facing the other side and… Well, how can we have a proper conversation if I’m practically talking to your back?”

Arya rolled her eyes and took a huge gulp of her Mary Berry as Gendry emptied his bottle.

When the bartender approached them to deliver Gendry’s second beer, she asked for a second glass of her red drink.

“So,” Gendy sat stiffly straight, cautiously peering over to Arya who took tiny sips from her refilled glass. “What do you do, Arya?”

It was obvious he wanted to defuse the tension between them. Arya appreciated his effort to make small talk, so she answered pretty quickly.

“I’m a casting manager.”

Gendry bobbed his head and drank his beer.

“And you?” she crossed her legs, giving the man in front of her a perfect few of her now lightly tanned thighs.

Gendry cleared his throat and turned his attention towards the row of liquor bottles behind the bar.

“Architect,” he answered simply, taking a huge gulp from his bottle.

“So what brings you here to Naath?” Arya probed, getting more interested.

Gendry’s lips twitched upwards before he answered, “Work.”

Arya could imagine a light bulb floating on top of her head, switching on.

“Ah… So you’re one of those noisy fellas that arrived earlier today, huh?” she sneered.

She watched Gendry’s reaction change from being offended to being amused. He motioned for another bottle and turned sideways to face Arya completely.

“Noisy fellas?”

Arya raised a brow with a bold grin on her face as she watched him gawk at her.

“Well yes. I’m one of those fellas,” he shook his head lightly, taking the bottle from the counter and took a swig of his beer.

Arya finished her own drink.

“What about you? What brings you here?” Gendry asked.

“Pleasure,” Arya hadn’t meant to sound like a purring cat when she let the word come out of her mouth.

She wanted to smack herself in the head for sounding so flirty when actually…

No.

She wasn’t flirting.

Arya Stark doesn’t flirt.

Not even if the guy was as mouth-watering as the one in front of her.

She casually cross-examined Gendry.

His white shirt was fit enough to accentuate his toned body. His cheeks were a bit flushed, Arya assumed it’s due to the alcohol. His eyes, oh how beautiful are those crystal blue eyes. And his stubble made Arya shut her eyes tightly.

_I’m such a wanker for guys with stubble._

And that luscious hair. Arya wondered how it would feel like to run her hands over his hair.

“Arya?” Gendry calling out to her made her stop from fantasizing more.

She shook her head and uncrossed her legs tuning away from him.

“What?” she emptied her glass in one go forgetting the strong gin. She almost gagged but controlled herself not to.

“I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk by the beach,” Gendry nervously fidgeted with his empty bottle. “You know, get some air or something.”

Arya had to think it through. The air would trigger the alcohol in her system which might make her dizzy or worse, drunk. But the idea of having to walk side by side with Gendry and get to know him better made her stomach flip. She wanted to and Gendry seemed eager to have some time with her, away from the buzzing crowd.

“Yeah sure,” she hopped off the stool, gripping on the bar to make sure she didn’t tumble over. She told the bartender to charge her bill on her villa and Gendry did the same.

He let her walk ahead, swerving through the bodies that were either drunk or sober.

Arya felt his hand on her lower back to guide her away from the big crowd ahead of them and his hand stayed there until they reached the shore.

Both carried their footwear in one hand as they strolled along the edge of the beach in silence.

Arya’s shoulder would rub on Gendry’s bicep whenever she felt the wind’s effect on her alcohol-induced body.

She’s heard him titter every time she’s about to stumble, and the water and sand’s pull on her feet wasn’t helping.

“So what exactly are you doing here? I know it’s for work so…”

“Convention,” she can feel Gendry’s eyes on her despite having her head bowed low. “Mornings are for engineers, afternoons are for architects.”

Arya nodded in understanding. “So you start tomorrow?” she asked.

“We started this afternoon. I was a bit anxious this morning because my biggest rival was there but now…” he caught her eyes with his as he beamed down at her. “I’m much relieved knowing I beat him up with my last project.”

The proud grin on Gendry’s face made her smile too.

“Congratulations,” her voice was so light; her eyes reflected the bright moon on the other side of the ocean.

And before Arya could say more, she felt a hand on her arm and warmth on her chest as Gendry crashed his lips on hers.

His hot mouth made her take a sharp breath. Taken by surprise, her foot took a step back while Gendry held her close by placing his other hand on her back.

The sensation made her dizzy, and no, it’s not the alcohol plus the wind. It was Gendry.

When he slowly pulled back, Arya took another second before she opened her eyes. Swallowing the big lump in her throat, she watched Gendry awkwardly scratch the back of his head with the hand that used to be on her arm.

Arya’s body was still close to his and she didn’t want to be the one to step away first.

“Sorry,” Gendry mumbled and lowered his head.

The way his cheeks turned pink made her giggle and with the way they were angled, she can see how beautifully long his eyelashes were. His forehead creased obviously trying to find more words than just ‘sorry.’

“It’s alright,” Arya spoke softly; she held his chin with her small hand to lift his face up.

Gendry was still embarrassed, eyes tried to look away from her but her strong gaze made him lock his eyes with hers.

Arya leaned in ever so carefully as she placed a light peck on his lips.

Gendry’s mouth twitched upwards, Arya couldn’t help but laugh at the cute, embarrassed Gendry in front of her.

“Walk me to my villa?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as his mouth curved into a smile, “I’d love to.”

The way their arms brushed together as they walked together made the hair on the back of Arya’s neck rose up. And whenever Gendry bumped the back of his had to her own, she'd sneak a look at him to see if he’s doing it on purpose.

But Gendry’s eyes were ahead of them, and the way his face went blank from time to time, Arya wanted to ask if there’s something bothering him.

The journey to the furthermost villa was silent and when they reached the steps of the entrance, Arya spun around to see him standing frozen a few steps away from her. The look on his face was calmer now like the Gendry at the bar or the beach.

The curiosity never left Arya’s mind though, so without hesitation, she asked, “Is something wrong?” her voice sounded so concerned that Gendry’s eyebrows rose up together.

“No. No, nothing’s wrong,” he shook his head vigorously.

“Then why do you look-“

Gendry’s heavy sigh made her cut her words.

He took a few steps to get closer to her and she patiently waited for him to speak.

“I was just thinking…”

“I can see that,” Arya mockingly motioned to his face.

Gendry chuckled lightly.

“Yeah well… I was just thinking if you want to go out tomorrow morning. There’s this natural rock pool I saw in the ad-“

“The Sitting Rock,” Arya pointed out.

“Yeah, that one. And there’s this lagoon-“

“I’d love to go out with you tomorrow, Gendry,” she stopped him again and reached out a hand to pat his arm.

The way Gendry’s face lit up in the darkness made Arya stand on her toes, both of them still barefooted. She briefly kissed his crimson cheek and stepped away.

“Good night, Gendry,” she whispered as she unlocked the door to her cottage.

“Wait!” she whirled her head around to see Gendry’s hand raised up.

“Breakfast?” he offered.

“Seven sharp. At the hotel’s restaurant,” she gave a playful wink before disappearing behind the big wooden door.

** _Day 2_ **

Arya wanted to thank all the gods in the world for not giving her a fucking hangover. The gin did little damage to her head, only taking full effect when she was by the beach with Gendry.

A smile slowly bloomed on her face at the memory of him.

Gendry’s hand on her back, his skin on hers, his warm lips covering her own, she stupidly giggled as she rolled around the comfy covers of her giant bed.

She sent a message to the group chat she shared with her family and greeted them all with a goodmorning. She even sent one to Meera.

When she checked the time on her phone, indicating that it is only ten minutes past five; she thought it would be the best time to try the gym at Palm City.

After freshening up and putting on her gym clothes, Arya took her reusable bottle with her and a towel.

The walk to the gym was at least five minutes. She only found four more patrons in the place which was something she’d very much prefer than a crowded one.

Pulling up her usual routine, it took her an hour to feel satisfied with the amount of sweat and blood pumping through her muscles.

She mentally clapped her hands to find that the resort’s gym provided water refilling stations and she gladly refilled her own bottle before heading out of the gym, sensibly wiping away the sweat on her face.

Walking out, she had the perfect view of the beach where a handful of people were enjoying an early dip. But it wasn’t them that caught her attention; it was the man having his early morning run.

Her mouth twitched at the sight of Gendry; bare-chested, only wearing his basketball shorts and running shoes, as he jogged along the shoreline.

She strolled closer to the beach and stood under a tree to get a load of the man she wished she could kiss again.

Unabashedly feasting her eyes over him, Arya pressed her index finger and thumb together, placing them in her mouth to whistle.

Gendry immediately stopped to the call, looking around to find the source.

Arya had her hands on her hips, her matching sports bra and leggings glistened with sweat.

“Don’t be late!” she yelled at him.

She could see Gendry laughing as he strode towards her.

The instant Gendry was close enough to reach out for her; she stepped away from him teasingly.

“What?” he complained, but with a smirk.

“You’re sweaty,” Arya pointed out, taking another step back, returning the playful glint in his eyes.

“It’s not like you’re not,” he motioned to her our body.

Arya shook her head and laughed, finally walking closer to him but with enough distance for their bodies not to touch.

“Breakfast?” she asked.

“In forty minutes. I didn’t forget,” Gendry confirmed.

“Good,” she turned away from him, aiming for her cottage when Gendry called out.

“Where’s my morning kiss?” she can only imagine his smug face even with her back facing him.

Not stopping, she answered, “You’re not my boyfriend.” Arya continued to march away from him.

“Not yet,” the remark he made her stop on her tracks. She wanted to turn back to see if he’s serious or if he still had that smug expression on his face. But Arya wasn’t sure which of the two she wanted to see. So instead, she continued walking away from him and raised her middle finger.

Her thoughts were flying all over as she took a shower and got herself ready. She shoved her things in her beach bag as she repeated her new mantra.

“Don’t fall for him. Don’t fall for him. Don’t fall for him.”

She only stopped mumbling the words when she got out of the villa and started her stroll to the restaurant.

She found Gendry sitting in a table for two, scrolling through his phone with a half-empty glass of water, sweating on the table.

She gripped the bag strap tightly, clenched and unclenched her fists before walking to the table.

“Hey.”

Gendry beamed up to her. He was about to get up but sat back down when she pulled the chair for herself and quickly took a seat.

“How’s your morning?” he asked.

Arya remembered what happened by the beach and threw the thought in the back of her head as fast as it came to her mind.

“It was good,” she picked the menu board from the table, “Their gym’s pretty nice.”

“So I heard…”

They both ordered their food; coffee and orange juice accompanied their filled plates.

“So you mentioned last night you’re an architect,” Arya took a bite of her toast.

“I did.”

“What kind of projects do you do?”

Gendry washed the last bit of food in his mouth with his juice before answering, “I lead the renovations at the Citadel.”

Arya’s eyes went round, “You mean the one from Oldtown?”

Gendry was pleased to see her impressed reaction.

“Yep. That one.”

“So you’re from Westeros too?” Arya assumed.

“I am.” Gendry was surprised that she correctly guessed about his last project. “How’d you know I was talking about the Citadel in Oldtown?”

Arya sipped her coffee carefully, “I saw an article about it. It looks modern yet still very traditional and classic. They just finished the renovations a couple of months ago.”

“Yeah. _We_ did.”

Arya laughed at his highlighted word.

“Congratulations. You did a wonderful job for such a historic building,” Arya’s sincerity made him feel elated.

Gendry couldn’t help but lean over the table and kissed her cheek.

The gesture made Arya hide her face on the coffee cup not wanting to think more of the action.

As they continued on with their breakfast Gendry explained his plans for their morning adventure.

“So I was thinking… Maybe we could visit the lagoon first cause it’s the farthest. Then The Sitting Rock and if we have enough time, we can have lunch at this restaurant overlooking the Summer Seas.”

Arya covered her mouth when she snorted, “Seems like you’ve thought of our date quite thoroughly.”

Gendry snapped his head away from his plate to gaze at her. The way his icy blue eyes pierced right through her orbs made her involuntarily shiver.

“So does this mean I really have a chance of becoming your boyfriend if this_ is_ a date?”

He was serious. The way his voice sounded so firm yet light proved to her that he was taking this moment shared with her seriously.

His eyes never left hers as he waited for an answer.

Arya bit chewed on her lower lip as she thought for a response and settled with, “We’ll see.” She went back to her food, trying her best to not hurl it out.

Gendry probably noticed her nervousness because he became more cautious with her. As they left the restaurant to fetch the motorcycle he’d rented, he walked a bit slower and gave enough space between them. Arya somehow felt bad.

She didn’t want to spend her morning to see Gendry tiptoeing around her, not when she was not happy about it despite her mind’s protest.

They only met each other less than twenty-four hours ago. They’ve teased and flirted and they even kissed and now they’re going on a date; a date that she happily agreed on.

Gendry wasn’t the worst. He’s kind and sweet when he’s not his smug self, he’s smart and possibly creative if he truly did lead the renovations at the biggest and oldest Citadel in Westeros and with the way he’s acting now, he’s respectful and a gentleman. He could have pushed her inside her villa when he walked her back the night prior, but he didn’t. That made Arya like him even more.

When Gendry hadn’t spoken to her even after he had started the engine of the motorcycle and silently waited for her to climb over, she decided it was best to be the one to break the awkward atmosphere around them.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on both sides of his shoulders to balance her self and got on behind him. As soon as Gendry drove out of the parking space, she took her hand away from his shoulders and wrapped her arms around her waist.

It didn’t go unnoticed to Arya how for a second Gendry went rigid. But when she leaned closer to his back, she felt him relax.

The ride to the lagoon would take them thirty minutes and they would have to take a quick boat ride to get there too.

As Gendry drove faster, the wind blew on their faces with the sun shining brightly over them.

Arya tilted her head backward, relishing the warm weather. Her pink hair fluttering around her face, and when she hooted happily, the pink tresses flew inside her mouth.

Arya had to spit them out, grabbing the strands away from her face.

She felt Gendry laugh in front of her, “Better tie your hair, princess.”

She smacked his arm with one hand.

“Why is it when we’re in this damned motorcycle you are always calling me that?”

“What? So you want me to call you princess all the time, then?”

Arya opened her mouth to protest but Gendry spoke again, “As you wish, princess.”

And she hit him harder this time, Gendry laughing away.

When they arrived at their destination, a tour guide welcomed them. They were given instructions, the dos and don’ts as well as life vests because they’d have to get on a motored rowboat to reach the lagoon.

The same tour guide sailed the tiny rowboat, the noisy grunting of the motor was irritating, Gendry had to shout when he told her she’d have to move closer to him or she’ll fall off on the other side.

A few minutes into the boat ride, there were surrounded by mangroves and for a moment Arya thought they were in a swamp. They passed between two rocky islands and just beyond it was more islets.

The clear turquoise colored-water took Arya’s breath Away. She clutched on her chest and shoved Gendy with her should.

“Look at that,” Gendry breathed out.

Before they could say more, the tour guide maneuvered the rowboat to a pontoon house, a staff helped them out.

They were told that they can leave their things on a table and they can choose if they want to use a kayak, paddleboard or bamboo raft. Gendry suggested in getting a bamboo raft, and Arya happily obliged.

Gendry took off his shirt and flipflops and was only left with his board shorts. Arya on the other hand, stripped out of her t-shirt and shorts revealing her two-piece bikini. Of course, it did not go unnoticed to Arya how Gendry’s eyes roamed over her body, and she shamelessly did the same. The two grinned at each other before Arya pulled out her sunscreen.

After massaging her body with the lotion, she watched Gendry did the same with his own bottle.

“Here,” she squeezed some lotion on her palm and dotted it around Gendry’s face. “Don’t want to burn that pretty face now.”

She spread them around delicately with her small soft hands.

Gendry stood there, frozen on the platform.

“Now come on,” Arya tugged on his arm and dragged him to the raft.

Gendry helped her over to the raft and paddle to help themselves in the middle of the lagoon.

“This place is beautiful,” she mumbled as they sat on the raft, legs swinging in the water.

“Want to take a dip?” Gendry asked and without warning, he jumped to the water.

“Shit it’s cold!” he explained as soon as he emerged back up, shaking his head. The water from his hair sprinkled on Arya’s face.

She was about to whine when Gendry pulled her by the wrists forcing her to fall in front of him.

“Gendry!” she squirmed.

His laugh echoed in the almost empty lagoon. She slapped the surface water, splattering around them and Gendry shoved water to her face as payback.

The coolness of the water made Arya shivered whenever she lifted herself out in the surface. Gendry pulled her closer to him whenever that happened and she’s more than grateful to feel his warmth around her.

Swimming around their raft, Gendry noticed the diving board that perched on the side of the pontoon house.

“Want to dive?” he invited her.

Arya followed his line of sight and nodded, “Sure.”

After rowing their raft with so much gusto, Gendry led Arya towards the diving board. A staff who acted as a lifeguard was standing by the bottom of the stairs.

“Do you want to go first?” Gendry asked, standing close to her.

Looking up to the wooden plank, Arya shook her head.

“Where are you from?”

Gendry did not expect to be asked with such a random question. His brows drew in together, “What?”

“Where are you from?” Arya repeated.

Gendry stared at her for a moment before answering. “Storm’s End.”

“So that means you’re a good swimmer,” Arya confidently stated. “I’m from Winterfell. We have winter most of the year so I can’t say I’m a very good swimmer but I can swim,” she explained without stopping for a breath.

Gendry understood.

“Right,” he nodded. “You want to jump together?” he offered.

Arya eyed him warily before nodding.

Giving her a gentle smile, Gendry took her hand and together they went up the steps and stood on the base of the diving board.

It was wide enough for the two of them only if they stick close to each other.

Gendry felt her hand tremble again his. He gave it a little squeeze and used his other hand to guide her face to his.

“I won’t let go,” he promised her.

Arya wanted to kiss him but she knew if she moved more, they’ll probably fall over.

Instead, she forced a small smile.

“On three,” Gendry said. “You count.”

Arya took a deep breath, she felt Gendry’s hold on her tightened.

“One…”

Gendry peered over her.

“Two…”

They both had their eyes on the water below them.

“Three!”

And together they jumped off, experiencing a new kind of adrenaline they’ve never felt before.

Arya was forced to let go of his hand thanks to the impact of the water. She kicked her legs intensely and used her arms to lift her body back up to the surface. As soon as her head was out of the water, Arya gasped for air and continued kicking to keep herself afloat. She looked behind her, Gendry had just emerged.

He swam closer to her, grabbing her hips.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He was still trying to catch his breath just like her.

Arya tilted her head backward, her hair sticking together because of the water. She shook her head lightly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Her smirked warned Gendry of what was next to come.

The kiss they shared was wet and Arya couldn’t help but giggle to herself.

Gendry’s lips were just as warm and soft as she remembered them. The chill than ran down her spine made her shiver. Her whole body went weak and she was sure Gendry was the only one keeping them from drowning.

When she leaned away from his lips, she found Gendry’s eyes flickered with adoration.

She pressed their foreheads together, closing her eyes. “Want to do that again?”

Gendry chuckled in her hold.

And they did.

After their second jump together, Gendry asked if she’s willing to do it by herself. Arya was hesitant at first but thought she’d never be able to do this again, well not in a long time.

So she agreed, only if Gendry jumped first and wait for her at the bottom.

As Gendry stood on the edge of the plank, he turned around to give her a thumbs up and Arya replied with a wave.

What she did not expect was Gendry’s backflip.

Her eyes were wide as saucers as she screamed, “What the fuck, Gendry!!!”

The felt the lifeguard walk towards her, and when Gendry hasn’t emerged from the water after what she felt was forever the lifeguard asked, “Your boyfriend knows how to swim, right?”

“Yes!” was Arya’s quick reply. But it was more like a self-assured statement, just to keep her worry away.

She got distracted from thinking about Gendry when the question ringed back on her head. When she was about to correct the staff, she heard Gendry howl from the water.

She released the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding back.

“I would really love to fucking kill you right now!” she yelled at him.

Gendry laughed harder.

Arya shook her head at his childish play. “We have to go,” she jerked her head towards the rowing boat.

“You haven’t done a solo jump,” Gendry argued.

“That’s because you wasted out time with your stupidity.”

“Come now, princess. I won’t leave until you jump,” Gendry wasn’t playing anymore. He was encouraging her to do something that he knew she wanted to try and he’s more than happy to support her.

Not wanting to waste more time, she climbed up on the steps and very carefully walked to the edge of the diving board.

Gendry has his full attention on her. Looking up, he yelled at her, “I’ll be here. Don’t worry.”

Arya mechanically nodded.

“I’ll count, alright?” Gendry suggested.

Arya nodded again, her hand tightened into fists.

When Gendry started counting, she drew in a deep breath and held it and jumped when she heard him shout ‘three’.

She felt Gendry’s hand on her arm while she was still deep in the water. He helped her pull herself up on the surface and immediately took in some air.

“Nice one, princess,” she heard him say.

Wiping water away from her eyes, Arya felt him leave a peck on her lips before guiding her back to the pontoon.

She smacked Gendry with her towel before handing it to him. Apparently, his bag was too small for a towel he reasoned out. And Arya was not pleased with the idea of having him drive the motorcycle still dripping wet.

Fifteen minutes was all it took for them to arrive at the Sitting Rock and Arya ran to the natural rock pool the moment they arrived.

She scanned the area and saw a poster explaining the location. The natural pools would only appear during low tides and that’s in the morning and early afternoon. The place was surrounded by rock formations and the biggest one happened to be sitting on top of a flat rock, thus being called the Sitting Rock.

“So where’s that sitting rock?” Gendry asked from behind her.

She pointed at the photo on the poster and turned her head towards her right.

Walking in water-covered rocks with slippery moss was difficult. Unless she wanted to crack her head on the ground, Arya had to buckle up her knees with every step she took.

She let out a screeching yelp when she accidentally stepped on a thick layer of moss.

If it weren’t for Gendry’s fast reflexes, she would have been on the rocky surface with her brains out.

Gendry laced their fingers together as they cautiously strode to the giant rock.

“Well at least now, if I fall you I won’t be alone,” Arya japed.

Gendry grasped her hand tighter. “I think we both have fallen,” he said nonchalantly.

Arya’s head snapped to him and stopped walking. She waited for him to look at her but he never did.

“Why are you so cheesy?” she snapped.

“I’d rather be called sweet than cheesy,” Arya finally got what she wanted, Gendry's gazed over her with a genuine smile.

She turned her head away from him and proceeded to walk.

Even though they have reached the giant rock, neither of them dared to release the other’s hand. They stood before the famous sitting rock in wonder, _how the fuck can this happen?_

The gods were truly magical. The way the rock was placed between too huge natural pools, Arya thought of an engagement ring; the giant rock as the diamond and the two pools as the ring band.

“Do you want to take a picture?” Gendry asked quietly.

Arya shook her head.

“Can we take a dip?” Arya peered at him.

“What do you think are we going to do here?”

His playful banter earned him a punch on his arm. They both laughed at their silly teasing and started peeling off clothes.

The sharp edges of the boulders that served as the wall surrounding the water made Gendry propose that it’s better for them to jump rather than glide down.

Arya agreed.

Right before they were about to get into the water, a tourist assistant approached them asking if they wanted to borrow goggles. She explained that their experience would be better if they get to see the marine life in the pool.

Of course, they did not want to miss that.

Putting on the goggles, they simultaneously dived in the water.

And the lady was right. Arya saw schools of fish, lone ones, all in different colors and sizes.

Gendry would poke her underwater to show her the things he found.

The next half an hour, they spent lazing in the water.

“So what are you going to do later?” Gendry asked.

Arya recalled her list; she’s been to the bar, the gym, and the restaurant, what’s left are the spa and hotel pool.

“I’ll probably get a massage.”

Gendry bobbed his head in response.

“I plan on staying in my room for the rest of the afternoon aside from going to the spa,” she elaborated and swam closer to him.

Gendry took her hand with his and played with her fingers.

He’s deep in thought again, the expression on his face was like the one he showed the night prior.

His brows were slightly pulled together, his head ducked down, he still had her hands in his.

“Gendry?” she called softly.

He swallowed heavily before lifting his head to lock his troubled eyes with hers.

“When are you going back to Winterell?”

And Arya knew what he was thinking. This was the reason why she didn’t want to play along with him in the beginning. This, what they were supposed to have was something temporary. But after spending most of the past twenty-four hours together, everything changed.

She took her hand back and cupped his face with it, “I’m flying back tomorrow.”

Gendry looked away.

“And you?”

“The day after that.”

“We knew this was going to happen. That we’d have-“

“I want to try,” Gendry said firmly.

Arya knitted her brows in bewilderment. “Do you even know my last name?”

“No, but-“

“Gendry,” she stopped him. “I don’t do long-distance relationships.”

“But we can try,” his voice was so tender and he looked so earnest.

Arya couldn’t look at him so instead; she smacked her lips onto his. Leaning her forehead against Gendry’s, she whispered, “I can’t, Gendry. I’m sorry.”

“Arya please, you don’t know that,” his desperate plea brought tears to her eyes. She kept them closed not wanting to see the beautiful blue ones that Gendry possesses. 

“What’s your last name?”

The seriousness of his tone made her cackle.

“Stark. My name’s Arya Stark.”

“Mine’s Gendry Baratheon.”

“Now you know my full name.”

“So can we try?” he hopefully asked.

Arya rolled her eyes and huffed. “You’re so fucking stubborn, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told,” Gendry gave a lopsided grin.

“Really? Who?” Arya queried.

“My godfather, Davos. And now you know more about me,” he let out a triumphant laugh and coughed up when Arya thrust some water on his face.

They got out of the pool after teasing each other a bit more and returned their goggles to the tourist assistant.

After drying themselves with Arya's towel and redressed, they took a ride to the restaurant Gendry was talking about.

Arya canvassed the restaurant for unoccupied tables since there were a lot of customers already. It was almost noon and many tourists and even locals were excited to have their lunch.

She tugged on Gendry’s sleeve when she caught sight of an empty table and told him they could sit there. Gendry ignored her suggestion.

She frowned at him and only received a peck on the lips before he walked away to approach the receptionist.

She watched the lady perk-up when Gendry came over and batted her lashes. She even tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

The scene Arya was witnessing irked her so much that she stumped towards Gendry.

“Can you spell that for me?” the woman asked with her irritatingly piping voice.

Arya stopped Gendry from answering the woman. She knotted her fingers to Gendry’s and inched herself forward to block her away from him.

“Girl, if you can’t spell Gendry Baratheon I suggest you try to get another job, something that has nothing to do with words and letters.”

“Arya,” Gendry hissed.

“What?” she turned around to face him. “If she’s only going to flirt with customers, this fucking place’s wasting their money on her,” she gestured to the woman who cowered away.

She faced the receptionist again noticing how she looked very embarrassed.

Arya blew out her cheeks and rolled her eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry. That was rude.” Arya apologized, feeling a little guilty. “Just don’t do that again. Not just to him or to anyone at all. It’s very unprofessional. Now tell us where our table is because I’m famished.”

The woman swiftly went over her clipboard and pointed at the table near the railings of the balcony.

The moment they were seated, Gendry clapped his hands in slow motion and watched Arya slouch on her chair.

“I got to say. I felt a lot of emotions watching you educate that woman,” he beamed at her.

“Yeah, right.” Arya glared at him.

They placed their orders; both choosing something seafood and enjoyed the view before them as they waited.

The crashing of the waves to the shore made the moment more relaxing after everything they did that morning.

“Do you have siblings?” Arya asked out of nowhere, her eyes still on the sea.

“I’ve got half-siblings but I don’t really know them. You?”

Arya shifted on her seat, leaning on the backrest sideways.

“My eldest brother Robb just got married. They both work in the city mayor’s office. I have a half-brother, Jon, who’s a private investigator... I shouldn’t be telling you that but…” Arya shrugged. “My older sister Sansa helps my mother with her boutique. They both love fashion and all. Then there’s me. Followed by Bran, he’s currently taking his masters in psychology. Our youngest brother Rickon will start college next year.”

“You’ve got a big family,” he commented. “So what does your father do?”

“He’s the city mayor,” Arya simply answered.

Gendry studied her calm demeanor. Her poker-face never wavered.

“You’re a Baratheon,” Arya spoke again. “Which one is your father?” she twisted her torso to face him.

_So she does know._

Gendry fidgeted with the napkin before he answered, “The drunken one.”

“You mean the State Representative?” Arya clarified and Gendry only looked away.

By then, their food had arrived and both were very hungry to finish their conversation about their fathers.

Halfway through the meal, Gendry finally brought up their last topic.

“I’m not really close with my father. I was more attached to my mom.”

“Was?” Arya stopped her slicing.

“She passed away when I was young,” Gendry replied.

Arya tilted her head slightly, “I’m sorry to hear that. So Cersei’s…”

Gendry stopped chewing and modestly answered, “She’s not my mother.”

Arya didn’t ask more about his family after that.

Politics was something Arya never liked. Even though her father’s been the longest sitting city mayor in her hometown, she never liked the idea of having too much responsibly weighing on her shoulders. And the way that her father looked older each day, she despised it even more.

It seemed like she was not the only one who didn’t pay too much attention to politics.

“So what’s your next project now that you’ve conquered the biggest Citadel?”

Gendry chortled wiping his mouth with the napkin, “You make it sound like I’m a Targaryen.”

“Well, you are. Do you know that Baratheons-“

“Yeah yeah. You think I don’t know my own ancestors?” he cocked up an eyebrow.

Arya lifted her own brow in challenge. “Stop changing the subject, stupid. So? What’s next for you?” Arya pushed on, taking a sip of her coconut water.

Gendry lifted his shoulders in a half shrug. “Pod was planning to visit Tarth to see his friend, take a break after more than two years of working on the same project. It really drowned us out.”

“And you?” Arya prodded.

“I don’t know really. I’ve got offers but… I want to take a break too, like Podrick, but I don’t want to just sit around and idle.”

“Well, you can come with me?” she leaned back in her chair with arms crossed over her chest.

She waited for the dumbstruck Gendry to answers. “So?”

“You know,” Gendry pointed a finger to her, “I kinda like where this is going.”

Arya tilted her head back to give out a loud laugh.

Gendry shook his head and finished his meal.

“Hey,” Arya called out when Gendry didn’t give a proper reply to her invitation. “I’m serious.”

“And I thought you’re the one who-“

“I said I don’t do long distance.”

“So you’re dragging me to Winterfell instead?”

The corner of her mouth quirked up. Holding Gendry’s questioning gaze, Arya leaned on the table, “Yes.”

She watched Gendry’s mouth fell open.

“Robb’s old apartment is available for rent because he and Talisa just got a house.”

“I assume that’s his wife?”

Arya nodded.

“I still want to do something while on break, Arya.”

“I can help you with that. I know a lot of people,” she shrugged his worry away.

“Can we talk about this later? It’s almost one and I still need to get a shower before heading to the conference.”

Arya complied easily. They left the restaurant, hand-in-hand.

When they got back in the resort, they found Podrick by the pool drinking what looked like a pina colada.

“Well there you are!” he opened his arms out to hug Gendry but he pushed him away with one hand.

“You ok, Pod?” Gendry asked. “It’s too early for a drink. We still have-“

“Don’t worry,” Podrick brushed him off, who obviously had more than just the glass he was holding then.

“Why don’t you come with me back to our villa, yeah? I could use a shower and so do you,” Gendry turned him around, giving a little shove.

“See you, Arya!” Podrick yelled too loudly as he walked away from them.

Gendry caught Arya trying to hide her laugh.

“What?”

“You two taking a shower together? How sweet.” she teased.

Gendry rolled his eyes before giving her a searing kiss.

“We’re going to take a shower one at a time,” he leaned forward again. Arya grabbed the back of his head to deepen the kiss.

“Where can I find you later?” Gendry asked after.

“My villa? We can order room service or eat at the restaurant,” she proposed.

“We’ll decide later. But for now, I have to go and you can go relax,” he gave her one last peck and kissed the back of her hand before walking to the villa he shared with Podrick.

Arya’s not really the type of person who liked to visit spas all the time. You’ll only see her getting a massage or facials and scrubs when her mother and sister had literally dragged her to join them. But since she was on vacation, she wanted to take advantage of the free services the resort offered.

Not only did she get a full body massage, but she also got a mani-pedi. And when she got back to her cottage, it was no surprise that she blacked out as soon as her body hit the cotton sheets.

Arya was woken up from her sweet slumber by the constant ringing of her doorbell.

She reached out for her phone that was on the nightstand to check the time that told her that she’s been asleep for about two hours.

Arya lazy pulled the covers away from her body and dragged her feet to the main door where she found Gendry in a polo shirt and dark pants; obviously going straight to her villa after he left the conference.

The thought of it made Arya’s heart flutter. She ran to him and leaped into his open arms.

“Miss me already?” he sniggered.

Arya dropped all pretense and nodded through his shoulder.

Her body vibrated along with him when he laughed.

When Gendry noticed her hold tightened, he asked, “You’re not going to let go?”

Arya didn’t respond.

“So are we going to just stand here?”

“Inside,” she mumbled and buried her face on his shoulder.

“Yes, princess,” was Gendry’s reply before lifting her up, his arms wrapped tightly on her thighs.

Arya did not see that coming. She let out a shriek and tried to hit his back with her fist. “The hell, Gendry!”

“You said, inside!” Gendry barked back as he marched inside the villa, kicking the door closed.

“You have to lock that,” Arya reminded, still being hoisted up on his shoulder like a sack of grain.

And Gendry did.

“Ohhh. A dipping pool,” Gendry said in a sing-song manner.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Baratheon!” Arya gave him an open palm slap on the back this time. His laugh echoed in the humble bungalow.

He slipped them both inside the room; cautiously not hitting Arya’s head on the glass door then he lowered her on the edge on the bed.

“Well at least you dropped me down carefully,” Arya grumbled, shifting herself on the bed, her back rested on the headboard.

She patted the space beside her and watched Gendry walk on the other side hesitantly.

She rolled her eyes.

“This isn’t the first time you’ll be sitting on a bed with a woman, right?”

“I respect personal space, Arya.”

“Yet you’re in my room now, standing in front of my bed, might as well take advantage of my invitation.”

This time it was Gendry who rolled his eyes and slumped beside her.

“You know, I always knew you’re a gentleman, and I firmly stand to my opinion,” Arya stated, picking on her freshly manicured nails.

Gendry replied with a pleased grunt.

They went silent for a moment; Arya ruffling the sheets, Gendry staring blankly on the open widows.

“So how’s the conference?”

Gendry shrugged. “Not bad. New proposals and all. Podrick had a presentation and thank the heavens he survived the whole thing.”

They both laughed together.

Then silence again.

Gendry took out his phone from his pocket, tapped on the screen and held it to Arya.

With questioning eyes, she took it from him.

“How am I supposed to call when I get to Winterfell?”

The question made Arya threw the phone away and pounced on Gendry.

“So you’re going to Winterfell?” she asked meekly, backing a few inches away from him. Her arms sluggishly sat on his shoulders; Gendry’s had his circled around her waist.

“I won’t be staying long, a month or two maybe.”

“We’ll see about that,” Arya said cheekily, the smirk playing on her face made Gendry’s ears perk up and turn scarlet.

“Dinner?” she asked.

“Restaurant or here?”

“I think they cook the food in the restaurant’s kitchen so it will still taste the same,” Arya pointed out. She crawled on her side of the bed and took the telephone to order room service.

Arya dragged Gendry out of bed and led him to the couch in the small living room, the two sitting end to end. As he flipped though the channels, Arya dropped her feet on Gendry’s lap and comfortably laid her head on the armrest.

“So you and Podrick are close, huh?” Arya mused.

Skipping the news shows, Gendry continued on scanning the channels, “We both went to the same uni and ended up on the same company. He’s my junior,” Gendry began. “When he got hired I took him in my team as my assistant and since then we’ve been close.”

Arya bobbed her head as she listened.

“So what about you, miss casting manager?” he turned his attention on her after choosing a sports channel.

“What about me?”

“Tell me about your job. Is it something you really wanted to do?” he probed.

Arya shifted her position on the couch so she was on her side.

Her eyes were on the television screen, “Not really. I always wanted to be an actress but I never get a call back.” Her face was blank again, like the one she had on when she said her father was a mayor.

“But then this casting director saw me helping another woman with her audition schedule and scripts and asked me if I wanted to work for her. I was desperate to show my parents that I can do well on my own so I took the job offer.”

She glanced over to Gendry who had his eyes on her.

“I’m working my way up on the ladder, hoping by the end of the year I can get a different job title.”

“And what job title would that be?”

“Casting director… Be the one to meet up with the producers and directors, do the interviews and auditions and get a say on the characters and stuff instead of being the one who has to plot schedules and do most of the paper work and phone calls,” she revealed.

“It’s nice you know... When you’re given the power to change someone’s life…” Arya added.

Gendry shuffled from his side to move closer to Arya. When she sensed what was happening, she lifted herself from her laying position to rest her back on his chest. With Gendry's arms around her small frame, she relaxed in his hold as he peppered kisses on her hair.

“You’ll change so many lives, Arya. One way or another,” his words were so sincere and sweet, Arya felt motivated to do her job better, not that she didn’t.

They cuddled in the couch and ate in the small living room, popping the bottle of champagne that Arya requested.

Gendry handed her a glass and poured one for himself before pulling her up from her seat.

“To work and pleasure,” he raised his glass and tapped it with Arya’s.

“To work and pleasure,” she repeated before inching forward to meet Gendry halfway for a quick kiss.

They sat crossed legged on the floor as they feasted on the bounty of room service on the coffee table before them.

“So when do you plan on flying to Winterfell?" Arya shoved some fries on her mouth, ketchup smearing her cheek.

Gendry stretched a hand to wipe it away, “A week after I get back at Storm’s End? I need to finish a few things at the office and file for a temporary leave.”

“Why not just file a resignation?” Arya’s eyes flickered playfully.

“You’re very adamant about this, huh?”

“You’re the one who wanted this.”

“And you’re the one who doesn’t want to have long distance relationships.”

“And that’s why I’m telling you, move to Winterfell.”

Gendry ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not something I can easily do, Arya. I have a job. I have friends and family. I’ve only been to WInterfell twice,” he reasoned and chugged his champagne.

Arya nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and rose up.

“Where are you going?” Gendry asked.

“I need to take a piss, stupid.” He watched him march behind the giant wall, heaving a heavy sigh.

For someone who’s pissing, Arya was taking so long.

When she strutted out to the living room, she took her champagne glass and the half-empty bottle and crawled on her bed.

Gendry’s eyes following her as she did so.

“What about a compromise?” she offered as she sat on the middle of the bed, sipping her drink and quickly refilling her glass.

“What do you propose?” Gendry asked. He strode towards her and sat on her side.

Not satisfied with just drinking from her glass, she chugged the rest of the champagne straight from the bottle.

Gendry grinned at her.

Arya wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“You stay in Winterfell for a month or two, like you said,” Gendry nodded. “And if it goes well, we’ll take turns flying to Winterfell and Storm’s End every single fucking month.”

“Can we make that twice a month?” Gendry suggested, taking the bottle and glass from her hands and walking to the coffee table to place them.

Arya shoved her face in her hands, “I can’t afford to fly every single month, Mr. Big Time Architect.”

“Are we talking financially or your workload?”

“Both,” she deadpanned.

Gendry placed himself behind her and pulled her body close to his. “Then I’ll do the filling whenever you can’t come to Storm’s End. And once you become a casting director, I’m sure we won’t have any trouble with it anymore.”

“Or maybe I can convince you to stay in Winterfell,” Arya turned her head around so she can catch his lips with her own.

Gendry happily obliged to the eager kiss.

He helped her twist her own body so she was sitting on his lap, her legs on either side of him. She grabbed his face with her small hands, thumbs stroking his stubble. When Gendry ran his hand on her hips, Arya couldn’t help but shudder.

Biting her lower lip, Arya opened her mouth to give him entrance allowing his tongue to dance along with her own.

A husky sound escaped her mouth when Gendry’s warm hands travelled upwards, she too let her hands ran over his shoulders and she finally got the answer to her question. His hair was smooth and silky as she knitted her fingers over the dark locks.

She balled her hands into fists, pulling his hair as she swiped her tongue on his lip.

Arya felt dizzy and light and whenever Gendry massaged her sides, she felt goosebumbs.

Her hands started to journey to his chest, running up and down with every feverish kiss he placed on her mouth.

Gendry dragged his lips to her jaw leaving wet kisses until he reached the pulsing vain on her neck.

Arya let out a moan when he sucked on her skin, her nails dragged on his chest as he did so.

Her hands went downwards, gripping the hem of his shirt, and in one swift move, Gendry was topless.

He was warm beneath her palms, and she loved the comfort it gave her despite the icy tingles his busy hands made her feel.

Gendry made sure he was not the only one who had no shirt on. His hands went under Arya's clothing, his rough manly hands on her skin made her quiver.

Then her shirt was gone.

Their breaths were heavy as Gendry’s mouth wandered to her collar bone to her shoulders. Her hands gripped his arms tightly when he went down to her breasts, leaving feathery kisses.

She reached behind to unclasp her bra when Gendry hastily grabbed her arm.

“Are you sure about this?” his eyes were full of caution and behind held his lustful desires. The concern touched Arya’s heart, she held his gaze, a hand on his face as a small reassuring smile appeared on her face.

“Gendry, I’m a twenty-four year old adult woman ready to have a consensual sex with a…”

Just then the realization hit them both. She didn’t even know his motherfucking age!

Gendry laughed at her shaken expression.

“I’m a twenty-eight year old adult man ready to have a consensual sex with a twenty-four year old beautiful,” he stroke her flushed cheek, “ …adventurous,” followed by a peck on the tip of her nose, “…independent,” then her forehead, “…princess.”

And before he can give her a proper kiss, Arya had hit him on the chest and a hard one too.

His face twisted in pain as he rubbed the spot.

“Say that again while we’re having our sexy time and I swear to all the gods you’ll be left with blueballs,” she got up from his lap.

Terror overtook Gendry’s face. He grabbed her wrist before she could move further away from him.

“Alright, I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”

He pulled her back into the bed landing her on her back. Her pink hair fanned on top of her head like a pink halo.

Gendry hovered on top of her, his hands carrying his weight.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Arya still looked pissed, her lips puckered into a pout.

Instead of being scared, Gendry found the expression cute.

He leaned forward to kiss her cheeks, then her chin, nose, forehead and then her lips.

“Why are you so cute when you’re angry?”

Arya slapped his arm.

“You’re so physical,” he complained, teasingly.

“And you’re an ass,” she lifted her head up and collided their mouths together.

It didn’t take long for their kisses to heat up and Gendry didn’t call her ‘princess’ in bed again.

Slick in sweat and in the aftermath of their randy activities, Arya didn’t mind that their bodies were pressed together.

Arya’s cheek rested on Gendry’s chest, her fingers drawing random shapes on his skin. His arms were around her petite frame, brushing her arm up and down as they both try to regain their energy.

“What time will you be leaving tomorrow?” Gendry glanced at her.

Arya sighed. “I need to be at the airport by ten.”

“In the morning?” Gendry asked.

Arya glanced at him, “Yep. So I need to leave by nine-thirty.”

She felt Gendry’s hold tightened.

“Can you please be the bigger spoon?” she croaked, twisting her body so Gendry could hug her from behind.

“We’ll be seeing each other in less than two weeks, so don’t sulk too much,” Gendry kissed her shoulder as Arya elbowed his abdomen.

“I’m not sulking, stupid.”

“I still need your number and all,” Gendry reminded her.

He pulled back to take his phone from the nightstand and handed it to Arya.

After typing her number, she swiped through the different apps on his phone with Gendry’s eyes following her every move.

“What are you looking for?”

Arya scrolled again, “Instagram, twitter, facebook or whatever you have.”

Gendry laughed from behind her.

“My cousin Shireen made an instagram for me but I don’t really know how to use it. I have a facebook account for work purposes and that’s all.”

Arya found the two applications and typed her own usernames and followed herself using Gendry’s profile and added her account on his facebook.

Gendry silently watched as her slender fingers ran through the screen.

Once done, she threw the phone on the bottom of the bed and scurried to Gendry.

“Now let’s sleep. We have an early day tomorrow.”

She faced him, burying her face on the crook of his neck, inhaling her new favourite scent.

She kissed his jaw, purposely brushing her cheek on his stubble.

“Good night, Gendry.”

“Good night, Arya.” 

** _Day 3_ **

Arya hated her morning for two reasons, one; she had to leave the breathtaking island of Naath and two; she won’t be seeing Gendry for some time.

Though she loved the way she woke on her bed that morning. Gendry’s dazzling blue eyes gleamed with admiration for her, a sweet smile plastered on his face, an arm over his head while the other caressed her naked back.

“Stop staring at me like that,” Arya covered his face with her hand, pushing him away.

“Like what?”

“Like-“

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the entire wold?”

“You’re cheesy,” she poked his nose.

Gendry deposited a prolonged kiss on her forehead.

“I’m not cheesy, I’m-“

“Sweet. Yep. You’ve told me.”

Arya finished for him. She grasped for her phone to check the time. The disappointed sigh she released was all they needed to remind them that Arya’s leaving Palm City very soon.

“Breakfast?” She knew Gendry was trying to lift up her mood and she was grateful for his effort.

She gave him a thankful grin and nodded.

“What do you want?”

“Smoothie bowl.”

She climbed out of bed in all her naked glory. She knew where Gendry’s eyes were. She turned to him, flipping her hair with a frisky smirk playing on her lips, “Aren’t you coming?”

“What’s a smoothie bowl?” Gendry wondered. They were walking towards a small store that served breakfast not far from the hotel.

“It’s basically a smoothie in a bowl plus fruits and stuff. But at home Sansa uses yogurt and icecream for the boys,” Arya explained, swinging their intertwined hands.

“Icecream? For breakfast?”

Arya rolled her eyes. “Well, we’ll get the yogurt one, if they serve some.”

“Why can’t we just have a normal breakfast?”

“This _is_ normal breakfast,” Arya argued. She pulled him to the bamboo hut where different kinds of souvenirs were displayed. Right behind the tiny cottage were rows of tables and benches where some patrons had started trying their bowls.

A lady approached them with a menu and Arya was in luck, they offered yogurt.

She had to help Gendry with his own bowl, where he also ordered greek yogurt for the base, blended with dragon fruit while Arya requested for acai. There was a wide selection of fruits for their toppings and Arya was thrilled she’d get to eat mangoes again.

They chose a table nearest to the beach, trying hard not to think of the time.

When their breakfast arrived, Gendry was so amazed by how his bowl looked and even took pictures of it, saying he’ll show it to Shireen when he gets back home.

The customized bowls tasted just as delighting as it looked.

“You better make an itinerary for my stay in Winterfell,” Gendry said.

“Of course. I hope you like snowboarding and snowball fights. That’s my family’s favorite pastime,” Arya casually replied, cleaning her bowl with her spoon.

Gendry’s brows snapped together. “So me, meeting your family is on the list?”

“Maybe,” Arya shrugged drinking her water. “Come on. Don’t want to be late for my flight.”

The walk back to Palm City was quiet, both trying to relish their last couple of hours together.

“You know, Sansa and Meera will probably be on my hair when I get back.”

“Who’s Meera again?”

“My bestfriend,” Arya filled in.

“Right. And why will they be on your hair?”

“Because I came here to get some time off of work. Relax and enjoy some much needed _me time_. Well, I did get to do that…”

“So what’s the problem with that?” Gendry was getting confused.

“I did not only get to relax and have fun,” she stopped from walking and pulled Gendry close to her. “I also got myself a man,” she spoke the words so lovingly. “Thank you for being an ass when we first met,” she ran her fingers through his face. “And thank you for the crazy, cheesy banter.”

Gendry laughed at that.

“And thank you for wanting to try this with me. I never thought I’d like a stranger as much as I like you.”

“So you admit that you like me?” Gendy wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Arya snorted. “Not as much as you like me.”

Gendry laughed again at her remark. “Yep. That’s true.” Then he bent over to kiss her.

Gendry was smart enough to ask the hotel if he could rent a car so he could personally send Arya to the airport. Most of the time, they’d be in silence, stealing kisses from each other.

He helped her with her last minute packing, watched her change from her flipflops to her shoes and held her hand as they closed the door to her villa.

When Arya was busy on the front desk, Podrick arrived in the lobby, looking like he had just woken up.

“I can come with you. You might need some company on your drive back from the airport,” he offered.

“Yeah. That’ll be nice,” Gendry patted him on the shoulder gratefully. “Ready to go?” he asked when Arya walked towards them.

She nodded. “Good morning Podrick,” she beamed at him.

“Morning. Hope you don’t mind me third wheeling,” he gestured to the car that was waiting by the entrance.

“We’d love to have you join us,” Arya grabbed her carry-on luggage.

Gendry placed it on the trunk of the car and rushed to the driver’s seat.

The ride to the airport buzzed with Podrick’s stories. From how he met Gendry in university as his senior, how he helped him get a job at the company they’re currently employed, to how supportive Gendry was whenever he had his own projects.

“Gendry’s a workaholic,” he quipped. “He dated a girl once. Mel... Mel... What’s her name?”

“Melisandre,” Gendry snarled.

“Right. Melisandre. She couldn’t handle hardworking Gendry so she left him after like, three months,” Podrick continued.

“But don’t worry Arya. Gendry’s a good guy. I’ll look after him for you,” he clapped Arya’s shoulder.

Twisting her body to look over the back seat, she extended a hand to Podrick. “Promise me that. I won’t be there to nag him if he does something stupid.”

Podrick gladly shook her hand.

“I’ll report to you daily if I have to.”

“Shut up, Pod!” Gendry grumbled. Arya and Podrick sniggered together.

“You should visit Winterfell soon,” Arya invited.

“One day. I’m sure I will,” Podrick gave his baby-faced smile and returned Arya’s hug.

“Take care. And look after this one for me,” she pointed to Gendry who scowled.

“I will.”

After exchanging phone numbers and social media accounts, Gendry offered to walk her to the departure area. He hauled her luggage for her while he held her hand as they walked to the gates.

Before Arya had to pass through security, Gendry pulled her for a tight hug that poured out all the things he wanted to say to her.

“You take care of yourself, alright?”

Arya nodded on his shoulder.

“Call me once you’re settled inside.”

Another nod.

Gendry held her tighter. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”

“In _less_ than two weeks,” she corrected.

Gendry chuckled. “Right. In less than two weeks.”

Arya shut her eyes tightly, praying to all the gods that this wasn’t a dream.

What if when she’s back in Winterfell, Gendry would forget about her? What if he never comes and everything was a lie? 

What if Gendry was just a hallucination, someone she created and imagined while she was in Naath? What if everything that happened was all in her head?

Gendry pressed his lips on her forehead. His hands cupped her face holding it close to his.

“I’ll make this work... _We’ll_ make this work,” Gendry assured her. “I’ll book myself a ticket to Winterfell as soon as I’m back in the hotel.”

She had her eyes on the ground, overthinking everything that had happened.

“Arya?”

She locked her grey eyes to his blue ones, “Hmm?”

She watched his eyes glimmer when he asked, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

The question made her jerk away from him. Her hands that was holding his arms trembled, her sight started to blur, she felt cold on the insides yet she felt warm, her heart pounded on her chest as she stared at him.

“Gendry..”

He swallowed hard, watching Arya’s reaction anxiously.

When Arya didn’t say more than his name, fear crossed his face.

“I-I’m sorry. If you- If you don’t want to talk about-about anything like that… if it’s too fast… I’m sorry-“

Arya stopped him with her mouth.

She kissed him with passion and fervor. Her arms snaked around his neck as Gendry drew her closer to him.

Arya slowly pulled her lips from him, leaving their foreheads pressed together.

With her eyes still closed she whispered, “Maybe I do.”

And she could feel the happiness forming on Gendry’s face, taking in another kiss from her.

“I maybe love you,” Gendry spoke, their lips still touching.

“I maybe love you too.”

He gave her one last peck before letting her go.

“Promise me you’ll call before your flight leaves,” Gendry reminded.

“I promise.”

“Promise you’ll call once you land,” he added.

“You might still be in your conference-“

“I don’t care.” Gendry protested.

Arya held her face with her hands, “I promise I’ll call you when I land as long as you promise to do the same. Call me whenever you can and I’ll do the same.”

Gendry held her gaze, “I promise.”

After giving each other one last soul-crushing embrace, Arya clutched on her luggage, slowly stepping away from him.

“Hey princess!” Gendry called when she was about to enter security. “I maybe love you.”

Arya bit her lip, holding her smile and her tears, “I maybe love you too, stupid!”

She gave him a wave and passed through security, her mantra had long been forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun Facts:  
The lagoon and sitting rock really exist. I based Naath on Siargao, my favorite place on Earth.  
Palm City was inspired by a resort my family stayed in for our Christmas vacation last year.
> 
> Drop some comments and show some love. <3  
Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it.  
Tumblr: coffeexwhiskey (you can find the mood board I made for this fic there)


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